What is NEI?

Each group within NEI can elect a Group Representative and Alternate Group Representative. Consider being your group representative/liaison to NEI. Representatives are elected by their groups at business meetings. At the January 28, 2018 business meeting (changed from January 21, 2018) NEI will hold elections for NEI officer positions. Positions are available with varying lengths of sobriety. Please see NEI Officer Elections Flyer for more information.

What is New England Intergroup?

New England Intergroup (NEI) acts as a communications and service center for all registered S.L.A.A groups in eastern and central Massachusetts and all of Rhode Island (including Boston, Providence and Worcester) and any S.L.A.A. groups requesting such affiliation. There are currently 61 meetings on our printed meeting list as of February 2016.

NEI holds monthly meetings to discuss intergroup business and provide support to our groups and members, which include but are not limited to:

Provides 24-hour answering service (617/625-7961) for newcomers & fellow members visiting from out-of-town

Organizes and promotes fellowship within the local S.L.A.A. community through various activities

Maintains NEI’s Website

Coordinates outreach activities

Orders, and sells S.L.A.A. Conference-approved literature to groups

Elects and supports delegates to represent NEI at Annual Business Meeting of S.L.A.A. at the International Level

What Does an Intergroup Representative Do?

An Intergroup representative attends the monthly Intergroup meeting, acts to represent the interests of their local group, brings Intergroup information back to their local group and keeps group members informed about Intergroup events and announcements. The representative brings their group’s conscience and represents the group in matters affecting them and S.L.A.A. Serving as an Intergroup representative is a great way to give service to S.L.A.A. and to benefit your own recovery.

What is the relationship of my local meeting to NEI?

NEI aims to represent the voice of all groups within eastern MA and RI. Each group is eligible to send one group representative (GR) and an alternate group representative (AR) to Intergroup to vote for decisions that affect you and S.L.A.A. NEI suggests that all Intergroup Representatives (GRs and ARs) have at least three months of continuous sobriety in S.L.A.A. Groups without members willing to serve that have at least three months of continuous sobriety in S.L.A.A. may choose to elect a provisional representative to serve on behalf of the GR and AR. Provisional GRs and ARs become voting GRs and ARs once they have obtained the required sobriety. NEI suggests that each GR and AR has three months of concurrent affiliation with the group the delegate wishes to represent. In the case of a meeting younger than three months, the concurrent affiliation requirement shall be waived.

When are NEI meetings held?

The monthly Intergroup Business Meeting takes place from 5:00PM – 7:00PM on the second Sunday of each month (with a few exceptions). The group meets at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, 2014 Washington Street (Room 100), Allen Riddle Building, in Newton, MA 02462. You are also welcome to join us by telephone. Intergroup Call in Number is (712) 432-6100; Participant Code: 74128638#

Below is a list of upcoming meeting dates

January 28, 2018 (4th Sunday)

February 11, 2018

March 11, 2018

April 8, 2018

May 6, 2018 (1st Sunday due to Mother’s Day 2nd Sunday)

June 10, 2018

July 8, 2018

August 12, 2018

September 9, 2018

October 14, 2018

November 18, 2018 (3rd Sunday)

December 9, 2018

Does NEI have contact information for your group(s)?

NEI currently has contact/representative information for 70% of groups (43 out of 61 groups) in the NEI service area. We need your help in providing this information to Intergroup. Please see Meeting Contacts Summaryto see if your group has a designated group contact and/or representative. NEI is asking that each meeting provide 2 contacts. Please bring this form to your local meeting and discuss at your next business meeting. You can also fill out the Meeting Information Form to register your group contact or Intergroup representative with NEI.

What does NEI do with group contact information?

NEI retains telephone and email contact information in case there is an inquiry from a newcomer or prospective meeting attendee, with questions such as, whether a group is still meeting when there is inclement weather or if group will be meeting on a major holiday, whether a group is still active if an attendee shows up at a meeting and no one was there, etc. Unless we have a way to get in touch with the group we may not be able to provide this information to a prospective attendee. Please note that any contact information provided to NEI is not shared outside of NEI – this information is confidential.

NEI also provides contacts and group representatives with S.L.A.A Intergroup information via our monthly mailings which can be shared with your groups and/or other members. You may have a certain part of your meeting designated for sharing program-related announcements. The monthly mailing includes an updated newsletter with local meeting changes, information on what may be happening at the S.L.A.A. International level (Fellowship Wide Services), NEI activities/events, meeting minutes summarizing what was discussed at previous NEI business meetings, summary of group 7th tradition donations, etc. Our quarterly printed meeting list is also included as part of the monthly mailing and is sent out via US Mail only.

Anyone who is interested in receiving Intergroup information is welcome to be on NEI’s mailing list. It is not required that you be a group representative or meeting contact to receive our regular mailing. Please see mailing list page to sign up to receive NEI’s mailings.

Does registering your group with NEI also register you with Fellowship Wide Services?

Want to learn more about what NEI does?

Join NEI at an Intergroup meeting or request NEI members to attend one of your meetings where we can explain to groups what NEI does. To request for NEI member(s) to visit your meeting, you may email NEI’s Outreach Committee Chair. The Outreach Committee’s goal is to increase awareness of what NEI does and stimulate greater participation by the groups within NEI’s service area.

What is role of an Intergroup in relation to S.L.A.A. as a whole?

Intergroups have the job of linking the individual groups to Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous as a whole. Generally, any two or more groups in any area that wish to work together to assist the meetings they represent to grow and to help other sex and love addicts who still suffer may do so. Intergroups act as guardians of the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions–meaning they help groups interpret the Steps and Traditions and encourage their use at meetings and in individual recovery to make S.L.A.A. safe for all who wish to attend. Intergroup members are representatives who provide the feelings, thoughts and ideas of the individual group they attend regularly and are representing, helping to ensure expansive experience, strength, and hope that will better enable the Intergroup to help those they serve–that is, the groups, their individual members AND those who still suffer. Fellowship-Wide Services (F.W.S.) relies heavily on Intergroups to help carry the message to current and potential members of the program. Intergroups do a variety of activities for the meetings they represent, including (but not limited to): creating meeting lists, newsletters and literature, running conventions and workshops, holding special meetings and fundraising events.